The Shadows that Define Us, Ghosts of the Past
by WordyWordyWordsmith
Summary: Hindsight has proven to be one of the greatest gifts and cruelest punishments humanity offers. A lesson to all: the things we overlook will hurt us the most. The threats were so heavily overshadowed by the rest of life's problems, a whole family of detectives missed the signs. When Sabrina vanishes one night without a trace, is it too late to play the game?
1. Chapter 1

_Approx. four years ago, FerryPort Landing_

The peaceful quiet of the Grimm household (a seldom found pleasure that Sabrina Grimm had learned to utilize to the fullest) was disrupted at 2:53 in the morning by an earth-shattering scream. Being the light sleeper she was, Sabrina startled awake not a moment after–almost screaming herself in the process.

" _Liebling_?!" Granny's panicked shout resonated throughout the recently-rebuilt Grimm home. Had this been any other household, Sabrina would have dismissed the commotion as a vivid nightmare and, grumbling about her unwanted and sudden awakening, have attempted to fall back into sleep's sweet embrace. After all, Granny Relda was already up and could handle whatever was going on this time. But given the fact that this household and those who lived in it were, to her dismay, all but normal, Sabrina was painfully aware that said nightmare could just as easily be real as imagined.

This being said, Sabrina jolted out of bed and skidded out the door, too groggy with sleep to consider whether it would have been smarter to sneak in case there really was some kind of intruder. The screaming had been reduced to whimpering, coming from...the room that Red shared...with Daphne (the little girl had moved out of her shared room with Sabrina shortly after the end of the Everafter War, which Sabrina tried not to let bother her). Which meant the person whimpering was-

"Oof!"

Sabrina crashed into Uncle Jake, who'd apparently had the same idea about whatever the commotion was this time. His hair was sticking up in all directions, but smushed to one side; he'd probably been asleep and fallen off the bed. Over wrinkled pajamas was his signature long green coat, with it's hundreds of pockets. Sabrina wasn't surprised. He and Puck would be leaving to go globetrotting and treasure hunting in about two weeks, so it kind of made sense to be ready to flee within a moments notice, but Jake wore his coat all the time anyways. Come to think of it, Sabrina wasn't sure she'd ever seen Uncle Jake without his coat, give or take a few rare moments when it was unavoidable.

In their haste, Granny Relda had already made it to the girl's room and, through the doorway, Sabrina could see her holding a shivering Daphne in her arms. With newfound energy, she leapt up from the floor and hurried to them, fearing what could possibly have shaken her bubbly sister so much.

Behind her, Veronica burst into the room. Uncle Jake staggered in shortly after.

"Daphne! Sweetie, are you okay? Did someone hurt you? What's wrong?" Veronica's panicked questions were met with a weak shake of Daphne's head. Her cheeks were were wet, eyes glassy and wide with fear, lip quivering. It hurt Sabrina to see Daphne like this. She thought _her_ heart would splinter apart if she looked at the girl long enough. Daphne didn't deserve this! She deserved her biggest worries to be what outfit she'd wear tomorrow, or how her friends were doing, or-or what TV show to watch–not evil, psychopathic magical creatures out to destroy her and her family!

Daphne's eyes rested on Sabrina's figure, and she seemed to calm down. Was that relief in her eyes?

"Sabrina! OH, thank goodness you're okay-I was so scared!"

"Okay? Why wouldn't I-" Sabrina was cut off by Daphne, who'd raced over to her and flung herself into Sabrina's arms. The force of the tackle landed Sabrina on the ground. Again. And it wasn't even 6 AM yet.

"You 'kay, Daphne? What happened back there?" Uncle Jake pressed gently.

" _Liebling_ , you had us so frightened!"

Still in Sabrina's arms, Daphne raised her head and smiled sheepishly.

"Well, I was dreaming about New York. We were there with the whole family and there were Everafters everywhere, and there was no war-it was kind of weird 'cuz they were walking around humans and no one freaked out or anything-and it was soooooo gravy! We were solving a mystery there and...I can't really remember all the details, which is weird, I guess"-

Daphne's rapid-fire speech had Sabrina dizzy...she suspected she was still half-asleep.

-"but I remember all of a sudden I was chasing something down the street, and Puck was flying above me, chasing it too. We were gonna trap it. I can't remember why, but it knew something that we needed to know, desperately. Something that would solve everything. And then..."

Daphne's chin wobbled and her voice shook. She faltered.

"Something was wrong. I-I couldn't...couldn't run. My legs wouldn't work. And Puck kept flying, kept chasing that- _thing_ , and was shouting for me to hurry. I tried to tell him I couldn't move, but he didn't come back for me. Didn't even look back, like he'd forgotten I was there. And the thing stopped, and turned around, and-"

Her voice broke, and she let out choked sob. All she managed to whisper was,

"It felt so real. Like...I knew I was dreaming but his voice cut through everything, and-and _he_ was _real_. And he wanted _you_..."

She turned her teary gaze to Sabrina, and she shook her head slightly, like she didn't have the strength to talk anymore.

The stunned silence that replaced Daphne's shaky voice was deafening. Finally, Veronica walked over to Daphne and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Daphne, there is no need to worry–I promise. I know it seemed real; all nightmares do. But now that Mom and Dad are back, _nothing_ in this whole wide world will separate our family again. Anyone comes for you or Sabrina, and my fists will make them regret the day they were born."

She playfully mussed Daphne's hair. Daphne giggled, and gave us a sleepy smile.

"Thanks, guys. You're right, everything's fine. I just can't shake this feeling..."

"C'mon, Daph, you know I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, but..." Daphne's eyes welled. "What if, next time, you...can't?" Sabrina had to strain her ears to hear the last word. And upon hearing it, she couldn't bring herself to say anything, too overwhelmed by the tidal wave of emotions raging through her, leaving pain in their wake. How could sweet, innocent Daphne be worried about things like that? Hadn't she taken care of the both of them long enough for the little girl to have some faith? What if all these battles had scarred Daphne beyond Sabrina's knowledge and Daphne would never truly recover, forever haunted by ghosts of the past?

Red had silently padded over while Daphne was talking, and now gently squeezed her hand. Daphne gave a small jump of surprise (she hadn't seen Red coming and, in all honesty, she'd forgotten that the shy girl was also in the room in the midst of all the activity), but squeezed back.

"Don't think like that, _Liebling._ You two lead a war and won, remember? There is nothing that the Grimms can't handle," Granny Relda reassured affectionately.

Only much too late would the Grimm family realize how wrong she'd been.

* * *

"Hey, Ugly!" The hiss sliced through Sabrina's demented dream realm and woke her up again. Seriously? "Wake up..."

That voice...she recognized that voice. Oh, no...

"Puck..." Sabrina warned, "this better be good, or you'll wish you were never born". She heard a snort and, with difficulty, finally cracked open her eyes. The boy fairy was peering at her from the edge of the bed. It must have been really early in the morning, because the sky was several shades brighter than it had been when Daphne...Sabrina blinked. Hard. Hoping that would somehow cut off her thoughts. There was a strange glint in Puck's eyes, but he wore a relatively, uncharacteristically serious expression. At least, he wasn't grinning like a madman. Sabrina couldn't decide whether this was a good or bad sign.

"Oh, please. That's the reaction anyone has if they look at your face long enough." he sneered.

She rolled her eyes and sighed, too tired to waste her nearly depleted energy on a comeback. "It's– _five in the morning?!_ Puck, what the heck is going on?"

Puck gave her a weird look, an unreadable one. Finally he asked, "What happened to the Marshmallow?"

Sabrina just gaped at him, completely thrown off guard by his strange question. "What kind of prank is this?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Wait...so, she didn't come wake you up?"

"W-What?"

Puck looked at her like she was in idiot. Slowly, he said, "Daphne didn't come into your room in the middle of the night to tell you anything".

Sabrina scowled. "No, you weirdo. Why?"

Sabrina could've sworn his cheeks colored slightly, but it was hard to tell in the dim lighting. She must've imagined it. "Because she woke me up a while ago, walked right into my room. And she...told me...things." He fidgeted.

"If she already told you, then why do you want me to tell you what happened?"

He glared. "Your stupidity amazes me, Grimm. She told me _other_ things, and I figured something happened to make her say those things. So tell me. Now. And stop trying to change the subject!"

His eyes bored into her. Sabrina felt a stinging in the back of her eyes and abruptly turned away, gazing at the wall instead and clenching her jaw. After an endless pause, she finally relented.

"Daphne had a nightmare", she said flatly. Puck blinked once, twice. When she didn't elaborate, he slowly grinned. When the shaking started, Sabrina realized with a pang that he was silently laughing at her. And that stung, more than she wanted to admit. What was so funny about the fact that Daphne was traumatized?! Or fearing the dream was more of a threat than they'd thought? _He_ hadn't seen Daphne's face...hadn't heard the panic and fear in her voice...the sense of urgency laced with doubt...

"So you...mean to say...that you've been pulling the...boo-boo face, bec-...because...of some dumb nightmare?" he gasped between laughs. Sabrina could feel her cheeks heating up, realizing how overdramatic and stupid she must have looked and sounded, sulking and brooding over a silly, bad dream that wasn't even hers and that Daphne had likely recovered from hours ago. Veronica was right; all nightmares seemed real but, no matter how unpleasant, they were just nightmares. But it was 5 in the morning. And Puck, of all people, was the one to witness this moment of shame and humiliate her even further for it. So she poured all of her hurt and anger into the withering glare she shot him. At her look, he straightened and quieted down, but the smirk never left his face. Suddenly more serious, he stepped toward her and opened his mouth to say something, but Sabrina cut him off

"Puck, get out. NOW. I don't want to hear it, and you shouldn't want to say it." She swallowed, eyes now glued to her bed. Sabrina felt bad, but Puck was the last person in the known universe she'd even consider confessing these fears and worries to-so, naturally, he didn't know to look for them. Or so she thought. Still refusing to look at him, to acknowledge whether he'd left or not, she didn't see him slowly make his way to her side.

She gave a start when Puck's hand brushed across her cheek, which she only now realized was wet. Great. Just great.

"Don't cry yourself to sleep, Stinky. It was just a dream."

And with that, he stalked out of her room, without so much as a glance behind him. Sabrina lay in bed the next few hours, trying to ignore the strange, fiery-and somehow numbing-sensation that had been gnawing at the pit of her stomach and brewing behind her eyes ever since Daphne had made her confession; reawakened with her rousing. Maybe she was coming down with something, because heaven knew that it wasn't just emotional turmoil.

* * *

 _"Sire?"_

 _The lazy flick of a hand prompted the greasy man to continue._

 _"Subject 57, G was tested with the powder. The results were much better than we'd anticipated, everything played out_ _perfectly. It seems we have our next target." He paused, tentatively_

 _For the first time since Hunding had entered, the man spoke. His raspy, hollow voice resembled that of a knife grating against stone and filled the torch-lit hall, even though it came out as hardly a whisper._

 _"Kill off Sector 13, and bring her in tomorrow."_

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, let me make this clear: I have, like, at least seven different outcomes for this story, and that's just off the top of my head. So...reviews are welcome and MUCH needed! Oh, and did I mention? While the story itself has been living in my head for months, this is my first written fanfic. I've never tried to transfer my ideas into words like this before. Yeah.**

 **Depending on how much feedback I** **receive, I may or may not take a while to update my next chapter. This was more of a prologue-ish thing that set the scene as a flashback of sorts into the past.**

 **I really hope you liked it, and keep in mind that any advice I receive is crucial to the forming of this story and will play a major role in the outcome I (finally) decide on. School is starting in a few days, too-so the more input I receive, the more motivated I will be to set aside time amidst all the homework and extra-curricular activities and events and computer-hogging to solely dedicate to this story.**

 **If you have read this far, I am really, truly, SUPER grateful. Ecstatic, in fact. So THANK YOU! (YES, YOU!)**

 **Constructive criticism is welcome. But even just a friendly comment works, so I know whether anyone actually likes this story or not. I'd hate to put all that effort in for nothing...**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** **Confession time: this chapter is mostly filler. Yes, I know. I'm terribly sorry. However, I'll be starting off the next chapter in Sabrina's POV and you guys will (probably...maybe...?) get a clear(er) understanding of what the heck is going on. HOPEFULLY, that will make up for it. Also, I personally have no idea whether this chapter sucks or not. But it is _significantly_ longer than the last chapter! Sorry about making you guys wait!**

 **Here's my excuse: When I thought up this story (like I mentioned before, it's been living in my head for quite some time now), it was pretty much _entirely_ in Sabrina's POV. When actually writing the story, I didn't want to overdo the whole thing. I honestly don't really have any plans for the family. If you guys want me to keep them in the loop and come up with some more plot that involves them, let me know. Also, let me know if you want me to skip ahead a few days/weeks/months between each chapter and stick to the really significant parts alone so that the story moves faster, or if you'd rather it was going at the pace it is now and that I added things in-between. I'm still debating whether or not I want to skip to present day soon, or at least to...you know what? Never mind. If I told you, that would spoil the story.**

 **No, this is not some mystery fic where I intentionally leave you guys in suspense at the end of each and every chapter, and the Grimm family finds clue after clue before revealing some conspiracy whatchamacallits and saving the day! I tried to give the** **family a good chunk of the story, at least in the beginning, because most of the content I came up with was Sabrina alone. Keep in mind that, if you don't really like this chapter, there is MUCH better content in the future that I am itching to write but can't yet because it requires quite a bit of background info. Otherwise, you readers would be too confused to be able to make sense of what was going on, and the story would go downhill.**

 **Disclaimer (yes, I** **know, I forgot last time): I do not own the Sisters Grimm series. Michael Buckley always has, and always will. I am simply borrowing characters and settings for my own use.**

* * *

"Good morning, Basil," Red cooed at the hyperactive toddler. She pondered how the child could be so calm and quiet one minute and bouncing around the house the next. For the most part, he cooperated. He was a very sweet boy. But he couldn't always sit still. Basil was warming up to his parents, but Red was still one of the people he was most comfortable with. So naturally, Red spent the most time on babysitting duty.

It just so happened that Henry and Veronica had a minor case to attend to that day and several errands to run that they'd rather get over with sooner than later, so they were gone long before the rest of the house awoke. Veronica had asked Red to bring Basil downstairs for breakfast, and to keep an eye on him until they got back–so long as she didn't mind. Of course, she didn't mind in the least. Veronica was well aware that Red quite enjoyed spending time with the youngest Grimm child and was also (albeit painfully) aware of how much Basil trusted the girl who'd spent so much time with him throughout the two years in which the 3-year-old's parents were asleep.

Red had been teaching him to recognize his parents, and–day by day–Basil's sobs for his former caretaker, slowly but surely, grew less and less frequent. For, as time passed, Basil had grown quite attached to all the strange people that now surrounded him day-in and day-out. The Grimm family had also grown warmer to the girl, something that Red was extremely thankful for. This may not have been her home, and she may not really be a part of their family, but their kindness seemed to say otherwise (not that she would ever dare read that far into it).

Nonetheless, these quiet mornings with Basil were one of Red's favorite ways to pass the time. As Granny was still cooking breakfast by the time she awoke on most days, Red often had a good 15-20 minutes with the younger child.

At this point, golden sunlight filtered through the half-open window, and a light breeze carried through the room. The coolness of it sweeping across her face awoke Red from her reverie, and she came back to life, gently scooping Basil up in her arms to carry him downstairs.

The first thing Red noticed upon exiting Henry and Veronica's room was how silent and still the upstairs hallway was. Not the most unusual thing, especially considering the fact that this was a Sunday morning and more than a few people in the household only woke at such an hour for the promise of breakfast, but it was a bit disconcerting. Perhaps Red had spent less time musing with Basil than she'd thought, because she could have sworn that it was around this time of day that Sabrina woke Daphne with the banging of pots and pans, and everyone crowded around the bathroom, arguing over who's turn it was, while the remaining stragglers just stampeded down to the kitchen for their food. But there was nothing to be heard except for Granny Relda (the old woman insisted that Red call her Granny as well) finishing up with her cooking. She also heard the clinking of silverware or such, so perhaps Relda had started on her own breakfast, or Jake or Canis had awoken while she was with Basil.

Shrugging it off, Red carefully brought Basil down to the kitchen and settled him in, to find that she'd been partly correct. Canis was seated at the table and finishing up the last of his breakfast, while Granny Relda had nearly finished cooking.

"Good morning, _Liebling_!" She greeted cheerfully. Red's heart warmed, and she smiled back, repeating the greeting to the elderly woman and Tobias, who nodded in response (he went by Tobias Clay now, but sometimes Red slipped up and thought of him as Canis). Red was handed a plate of...multicolored eggs and a small stack...of blue pancakes with purple splotches. She was grateful for the food, though it always took her a few moments to decipher what exactly she was eating. Granny glanced towards the upper floor. At this, Red found herself about to confide her suspicions and worries to Relda, and opened her mouth to do so, but it was just then that one of the bedroom doors finally opened.

Catching Red's mouth clamp shut, Granny Relda asked, "Is anything wrong, Red, dear?" As Red mutely shook her head, Puck stomped into the kitchen. Red was stupefied. If he was up, where in the world were Sabrina and Daphne? The little girl was known to be able to smell food from a mile away, and sleep never kept her from eating–not to mention Sabrina would've always had Daphne up by now...

"Good morning, Puck," Granny affectionately called.

The boy offered a lazy wave and yawned, "Where's my food, Old Lady?"

As she handed him a plate and he switched it for the whole platter–double the amount of pancakes–Granny asked him if the girls were awake yet.

"How should I know?" He complained. "If you wanted me to tell you these things, ya should've kept the bodyguards I hired." With this statement, he plopped down and began shoveling food into his mouth, signaling the end of any possibility of conversing with him.

Granny glanced upstairs again and pursed her lips, the only indications of her uneasiness. Red's emotions mirrored hers. In fact, Puck was the only one downstairs who seemed completely unconcerned. Just as Mr. Clay stood to leave, another door slammed shut and Daphne's voice filled the kitchen as she bounded down the stairs to join the rest of the family.

"Morning, guys!"

"Child," Mr. Clay asked,"is your sister awake as well?"

Daphne paused, mid-skip.

"Well...I thought so, since she wasn't in her room. She didn't even bother to wake me up and Uncle Jake and Mom and Dad were gone too, so I didn't think much of it. Wait–is she not with them? And where are they anyway?"

" _Liebling_...," Granny Relda paused hesitantly. "Your parents had some errands to run and a minor case to look into. Jake left the house shortly after they did, and said he was going into town."

Confusion danced across her features, and Daphne stopped moving entirely. "Then where...?"

"Maybe she was in the bathroom, or on the roof, or in some other room and you simply didn't see her," Red hurriedly suggested. "You two both had a long night...maybe she just needed some time on her own," she continued timidly.

"That sounds about right. Well done, Red," Granny Relda exclaimed.

"I guess I shouldn't put it past her at this point," Daphne sighed. "But missing breakfast is so NOT punk rock." She sat down in between Red and Mr. Clay, and promptly dug into her food with gusto that rivaled Puck's. The elderly man proceeded to make his way to the stairs, telling Granny that he'd be in his room for the next few hours, in case anyone needed him, and that Red was welcome to join him in his meditation if she so pleased.

As Puck shoved several more eggs into his mouth and stood to leave as well, Relda stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

" _Liebling_ , before you go, could you please look for Sabrina? She hasn't eaten breakfast yet and–long night or not–she needs to have something."

Puck scoffed, "Yeah, it would me my pleasure. Right after I finish polishing all the doorknobs and dusting the bookshelf!" He stormed off before Relda could reply.

"I can do it," Red called softly. "I was finished eating anyway."

"Thank you, _Liebling_."

...

Thirty-five minutes later, Red had searched the entire house (roof, porch, and front-and-backyards included) with Basil, and there was no sign of Sabrina. Her bed didn't even show any signs of having been slept in for the past week. Also, it was nearly noon; any walk Sabrina may have taken or place she may have gone to clear her head, she should've returned from by now–especially considering she didn't even bother eating breakfast. Red's heart sank. Something wasn't right about all of this.

Red was far too shy to tell everyone herself, so she broke the news to Granny Relda alone. She murmured apology after apology for not being able to find Sabrina. What if they changed their minds about Red living with them because she couldn't even find one person in such a small place? What if she wasn't good enough to stay? Her eyes welled with tears at the thought, but to her relief, Relda held nothing against her, and just thanked her for trying her best. Terrified to face everyone else, she watched from the kitchen doorway as Relda had everyone gather round for the news. In a matter of minutes, the whole family was gathered in the living room, aside from Henry and Veronica–who were still out in town.

"Well? This better be good, Old Lady, 'cause I'm missing out on the season finale for this!"

Relda cleared her throat. " _Lieblings_ , I'm afraid I have bad news." Red shrunk deeper into the doorway, barely peeking out at this point. Puck glanced at her suspiciously, but then his gaze abruptly snapped back to Relda. Maybe he'd guessed what said news was, because he now kept all of his attention focused on the woman. It was no secret how much he cared about Sabrina's well-being, however much he tried to hide his affections for her.

"We have searched the entire area, and Sabrina was nowhere to be found. It seems," Granny Relda paused, clearly trying to maintain her composure. She sighed. "It seems poor Sabrina has either run away or gone missing."

The silence threatened to choke them, and could have lasted from mere moments to hours. It was impossible to tell. Finally, Puck broke the spell by shooting off the couch. Granny didn't make any move to stop him, just uttered a, "Please be careful, _Liebling_."

Daphne, however, raced after him and grabbed the boy fairy's arm. He growled,"The longer you hold me back, Daphne..." his voice trailed off, as he'd just seen the tears leaking out of the corners of Daphne's eyes and trailing paths across her cheeks.

"I know, I know, I'm not gonna stop the best chance my sister has at coming home soon. Just...please, bring her back, Puck." Her eyes welled with a new surge of emotion. "If this has anything to do with what I saw..."

"Relax, Daphne, Sabrina's probably in town," Uncle Jake interjected.

Puck seethed, "If this is all her idea of a joke..."

"Good luck," Daphne called quietly.

Puck mellowed at the sight of Sabrina's distressed sister. "Since when does the Trickster King need luck?"

And with that, he wrenched open the door and flew off, leaving every individual to worry in their respective ways and move along with their plans for the day, because life goes on.

* * *

Puck didn't find Sabrina that day, and returned long after Veronica and Henry had arrived at sunset, by which time the sky had turned a deep inky black. Daphne had refused to sleep until he got back, but when he arrived empty-handed, she thought she might physically break into millions of pieces, if not at least collapse. Puck must have scoured all of FerryPort Landing, given how long he'd been out there. Daphne found herself sinking into an armchair.

Even worse: Sabrina may have been tied to the town when she turned into an Everafter, along with the rest of the Grimm family, but with the original Barrier down, she could literally be anywhere on the planet right now. If she was even on the face of the planet...

Puck shook her out of her mounting panic attack. "It's okay, marshmallow, I'm sure your sister's just fine. For all we know, this is all her idea of a practical joke–and if it is, I am going to make her regret the day she was born!"

Daphne faltered. "So...," she sniffed. "You think, maybe...she left...on purpose?"

Puck, who'd been sprawled across the couch, slowly sat upwards as the meaning behind Daphne's words registered.

 _You think she left me?_

And, suddenly, Daphne realized how very uncomfortable he looked. If not for clouds of despair and depression squeezing her heart and filling her head, she probably would have burst into a hysterical fit of giggles. Instead she stared at him intently, her eyes making clear that he was not going to get out of answering.

"Look." He swallowed, like it physically pained him to utter his next words. "Sa...brina–Grimm–may be a lot of things, but a bad big sister is not one of them," he began slowly. "She cares about you...a lot. Probably more than she cares about herself." He laughed humorlessly. "She would never do anything to hurt you, or leave you behind. Because when she loves someone, she loves them with everything she has...and then some." Puck's voice was softer when he finished, cheeks slightly flushed. His green eyes were clouded over, like he was watching a distant memory, so deeply immersed in his own thoughts, he'd forgotten she was there. And he was definitely not looking at Daphne. If he had, perhaps he would have seen her grinning from ear to ear, even if it was a watery smile.

"Thanks, Puck. That really helps...and I bet Sabrina would be happy to know you felt that way too," she commented slyly. "How _do_ you know all of that, anyway?" At this, he did look at her, eyes as wide as dinner plates.

Desperate to recover his cool, Puck said with all the dignity he could muster, "I'm over four thousand years old, remember? Pretty sure I can recognize love when I see it," he finished somewhat bitterly.

At this, Daphne actually laughed. "Please. If you could recognize love, you and Sabrina would've stopped fighting a looooong time ago."

Puck didn't seem to hear the girl, as he was scowling at the floor and his eyes were still clouded. Daphne felt a wave of sympathy wash over her, suddenly remembering how cold his parents had seemed. Of course Puck recognized love; it was one of the few things he'd probably never really had enough of.

"Puck?" She called softly. "Just so you know, everyone here loves you. She'll probably hate me for telling you this, but Sabrina would be absolutely devastated if something happened to you."

Puck's head snapped up, as he seemed to awake out of whatever trance he'd been in. "Whatever, marshmallow." For a brief moment he looked almost thoughtful, before adding, "You'd better get some rest. Missing or not, Grimm wouldn't want you losing sleep over her, now would she?"

Daphne grumbled, "Like I'll be able to sleep," but she obediently trudged up the stairs and into her room.

Sure enough, she didn't get much of any sleep that night. Or the night after that. Or the night after that one. Because as the hours bled into days, and the days into weeks, a strange hollowness settled into the her heart. A hopelessness that kept Daphne tossing and turning every night and a walking corpse every day. Sabrina had been the constant one. She was always there to comfort Daphne when other people went missing or died or got hurt, or when they were bouncing from foster home to foster home as a pair of juvenile delinquents; it was always the two of them against the rest of the world. But now...now it was just Daphne. And she had never felt more alone.

The worst part? What with the made bed, nothing out of place in her room, no sign of a struggle, and not a trace of Sabrina in all of FerryPort Landing, the most logical explanation behind Sabrina's disappearance was that she'd left voluntarily. As more and more days passed, it was looking very likely that the oldest Grimm child simply didn't want to be found.

* * *

She tried to scream. Mustered up all the energy she had and desperately shoved it out. But her throat closed in, and Sabrina found herself choking on her own cries. She couldn't have made less noise if she was mute. She thrashed around in pain, and managed to jerk out of the figure's viselike grip. Seizing the opportunity, Sabrina dashed to the door, but was yanked back by her hair. Her scalp burned like it was on fire, and his hand clamped over her mouth. Suddenly her bedroom was spinning, and Sabrina was feeling strangely lightheaded.

Maybe it was just another nightmare...maybe if she just closed her eyes...

But then Sabrina saw the bloodied knife. It was glowing, crackling with an energy that she couldn't have dreamed up.

"Magic intolerant, are we, girlie?" The man rasped. "Well," he cackled, "there are plenty of other methods of persuasion, aren't there?"

Tears forced their way down her face, as she began to convulse uncontrollably. Black spots obscured her vision, and everything was spinning, spinning, spinning...

...

When Sabrina awoke, she found herself in a dingy hall, hands and feet in chains. As she finally regained the ability to form coherent thoughts again, the realization dawned that she was not alone. In fact, the entire hall was filled with other adolescents, all chained and unable to stand, just like she was. They all looked as beaten as Sabrina felt, and the absolute terror and tension that radiated off of each of them did nothing to reassure her. Some were sobbing, others were scowling, and a couple just sat there staring resolutely ahead of them–daring the heavyset figures lining the walls to do their worst. They seemed to know much more about these newfound surroundings than Sabrina did. She must have been out for a lot longer than she'd realized.

What had she gotten herself into this time?

* * *

 **A/N: Again, my** **sincerest apologies for making you guys wait, or if this chapter didn't meet your hopes/expectations. Nonetheless, I am extremely grateful to you for all of your support. THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH!**

 **GUEST REVIEW REPLIES…**

 **Guest #1 (04/07/18)–** Thank you! I hope still you do after this chapter...

 **Guest #2 (04/11/18)–** You have NO idea how much I appreciate those kind words! I hope this update was enough to satisfy you for now. Sorry if I left you in suspense again! I promise I'll try to make it up to you. ;)

 **Guest #3 (04/12/18)–** I swear, when I first read your review I laughed for nearly 9 minutes straight. I know how you feel, having been in the same boat multiple times before. I never thought I'd be one of _those_ authors... Honestly, I am flattered that you felt that way about my writing! Hopefully this chapter hasn't completely swayed your opinion.

(Funny story, if not for the excuse that your reviews gave me to write more, I wouldn't have been able to spend at least two-to-five hours a day typing in my room. Anyone who cares about this story should be thanking you three right now.)

 **You people are absolutely amazing! I promise I'll do everything I can to make the next chapter worth your while. But just keep in mind that this was how long it took for me to update when I _didn't_ have any classes to worry about just yet. So I can't promise the next chapter will be out ****immediately...especially if I want to make it, like, as good as possible…**

 **I love you guys! (By the way, if you feel that there wasn't enough explanation for that little scenario with Sabrina, she'll offer up some details as time passes.)**

 **Be sure to REVIEW! I need to know what you think, and the more reviews I get, the sooner you'll find an update! In fact, if it weren't for those reviews that I** **received, this chapter probably wouldn't have come out for at least another week. Puts things into perspective, doesn't it?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Some things you should know before starting this chapter:**

 **1) It is entirely Sabrina's POV.**

 **2) Admittedly, it is not very long. It's actually the shortest chapter I've posted onto this story so far (which isn't saying much, since chapters 1 and 2 were, like, at least 3000 words each).**

 **3) It is _significantly_ darker than my previous chapters. This story was rated T for a reason. Honestly, though? It's not that bad. Only one scene could be considered relatively gruesome. This is only a warning because I'm being, like, super careful. For instance, I wouldn't recommend a 9 or 10 year old read this, for sure. Even if I may just be overly cautious.**

 **4) NO, THIS STORY IS NOT BASED OFF OF TRAGEDY. YES, THE CHARACTERS WILL FIND HAPPINESS AND SUCH, YADDA YADDA YADDA. JUST NOT AT THIS POINT IN TIME... I honestly have a lot of cool (NOT necessarily dark) things planned for the future. I've already planned 4 years ahead, remember? However, it needs to be made clear the gravity of the situation by then. This plot *snorts- _plot...*_ involves a WHOLE lot of character development, and this place-the whole being kidnapped, the tragedy she sees, the deaths she witnesses-will change her life forever. Whether she shows it or not, Sabrina will be deeply impacted by all of this. NO, THIS DOES NOT MEAN SHE WILL BE SOME DEPRESSED TEENAGER FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE. Faaaaaaaaaar from it, people. I am itching to elaborate, but I'm afraid that would spoil literally the BEST part of this story. *sniffs* Which we won't get to for several more chapters...**

 **Please, just bear with me. I hate myself for putting this kind of stuff out there and risking making you guys think that the future chapters will look all dark and tragic, which may deter you from reading the part that I actually created this story for (I have a LOT of plans to put into action by the time Sabrina is sixteen), but I swear on my fanfic account and all of the chocolate I own that this story will get soooooooooooooooooooooooooo much better, assuming I am successful in transferring my vision to actual wording.**

* * *

Sabrina opened her mouth to find that she still couldn't speak. No one else was either, the only sounds filling the silent halls being the sobs of some of the children. Strangely, even the sobs were muffled–you'd have thought they were giggling softly to one another, rather than...well...sobbing–as if they weren't allowed to. Or couldn't...

A fresh surge of terror pushed Sabrina to try harder, only to be rewarded with searing pain in her throat. She swallowed as her eyes watered with the pain. This wasn't natural. She couldn't even let out a strangled sob. What had they _done_ to her?!

Every move left an ache in her already weary limbs, or intensified the pain in her throat (which Sabrina was sure was not physically possible). She was almost certain it had something to do with the knife. After a few dazed moments, exhaustion won over suspense, and the urgency of reality was shoved to the background, as Sabrina's world slowly faded to blackness. Into a realm blissfully empty, a place where pain and fear and anxiety and loss didn't exist. An inkiness laced with the whispers of reality, the nightmare looming over her temporarily tucked away–obscured by her dazed numbness–unrecognizable for the time being. She could have stayed there forever.

Oh, if only.

...

 _3 weeks later_

 _..._

"Please! No, please, I'll give you anything! PLEASE!"

Sabrina heard the unmistakeable crack of a whip. The screaming intensified. Did they never learn? Pleading only annoyed the wardens here.

There was a strange gurgling. Whispered pleas had replaced the screaming. Sabrina knew better than to hope they were done with the poor woman (she assumed it was a woman; she was practically blind in this cell, where the only opening was a tiny window–smaller than her face–nearly 5 feet above her head). Or that they'd at least moved her away where the screaming would be fainter. No. Those vile creatures wanted her to hear the tortured souls that accompanied them in this underground heck hole.

Sure enough, the sector filled with her desperate wails. By the sounds of it? Probably her last.

 _You're next._ The screams seemed to say.

 _You're next._ The cracking of whips and slashing of blades and who-knows-what else seemed to whisper with each strike.

She was going insane here.

Something told Sabrina that the night was over, and she sat up slowly, taking everything in carefully, so as to avoid an information overload. She'd learned that lesson the hard way, several times. Every time she woke, each and every individual detail of her surroundings slammed at her like a pickup truck. No matter how many days passed. Every awakening was the same. It was all she could do to try to avoid the insistent throbbing in her head.

Quietly as possible, to avoid attracting the attention of any of the wardens and guards prowling up and down the corridors, Sabrina slowly raised herself from her fetal position on the cold, damp floor. She couldn't tell what exactly the floors and walls of her cell were made of–but it seemed to be a clay of sorts. It was damp, like soil or packed sand, and _definitely_ dirty, but the surface seemed naturally smooth–like stone–though not quite as hard.

Meaning it didn't take a blade to engrave something any of the walls looming before her (one of which was covered in long scratches and splattered with what looked suspiciously to be the blood of this cell's former inhabitant; she didn't touch that wall).

In the far left corner, hidden at first glance as it had the least lighting in the tiny room, Sabrina had scratched a mark onto the wall for every day she woke in this wretched place. Of course, since she was underground and had no perception of the time of day, there was no telling how accurate she'd been. Sabrina just went with her gut feeling, and her body's habits.

Fumbling in the dark, relying on her sense of touch even more so than her own eyesight, Sabrina found the patch of wall covered in tiny slash-like marks and added another to her growing collection.

* * *

For the past few...well, eternities, really, Sabrina had tried to refrain from checking to see how many times she'd marked that wall.

 _They're coming for me_ , she would reassure herself. _Freaking out and depressing yourself isn't going to help that. They love you. They'll find you._

Despite the fact that Sabrina was well aware it had taken over two years to really save her parents and they were now as good as new, and it had taken weeks upon weeks upon weeks to help Mr. Clay when he'd been arrested, and that the Grimms weren't the sort that gave up so easily, she found it harder to cling to her belief as the endless hours rolled by.

In the dead of the night, when there was no barrier to muffle her deepest worries and fears, when her worst thoughts managed to crawl to the surface of her mind and there were no stubborn defenses to block them out, Sabrina had found herself unable to keep from wondering: _What if they never showed up? What if, even if they were desperate enough to search for days on end with no sleep, they were too late? What if she wouldn't be around to see them again, if she'd be broken and long gone by the time her corpse was found?_

* * *

So that morning, Sabrina checked the wall. Her fingertips grazed the tiny indentations, each ever-so-slightly increasing the weight of the heaviness in her chest.

There were twenty marks.

Including her most recent awakening, that was exactly three weeks.

She had been rotting in this cell for three whole weeks.

Three.

Whole.

Weeks.

As in, over twenty days.

Over half a month.

And that was only in this cell. What about all the time she'd spent unconscious? All the time she'd spent bound to the floor and jostled around, hardly even capable of _thinking_?

If the vertigo and fatigue she'd received upon her abrupt awakening in this cell, three weeks ago to the day, was any indication...she must have been here for at least a month if not longer.

Over five hundred four hours.

It was getting harder to breathe. Was it just her, or were the walls closing in?

The cell had definitely grown dimmer, that's for sure.

Ouch. She didn't remember falling, but the ground was now hardly two inches from her face. She would have gotten up, but her legs hurt so much...and, honestly, she was still very exhausted.

She didn't want to get up. Why didn't she want to get up?

Oh, look at that. Why was she facing the ground again? Ew. It was pretty dirty. Had she forgotten to clean her room? Maybe it was an art project or a school assignment.

A hysterical giggle escaped her lips. Suddenly, the fact that Sally had no idea what was going on was very amusing to her. Wait. Sally? No. Her name was Sarah, right? Or...Daphne? Wait! No, it was Relda. Or was it Veronica? Honestly, how did people manage to remember these pesky little details all the time? It seemed quite draining and tedious, if you asked her. Him? Her. Or was it him? Oh, that was a beautiful pair of green eyes. Were they hers? His? Which was it anyway?

Whatever. She'd (or he'd?) just ask Granny later. Stupid grammar.

This time, Sarah happily leaped into the darkness, relished in it's presence. But before she completely succumbed to the new surroundings, she heard a faint, desperate cry. Oddly enough, she was the one who'd sent it.

 _Help._

* * *

 **A/N: I probably would have ended this chapter differently (the whole** **counting-down-days thing was only supposed to last for two to three paragraphs in the beginning), but FanFiction had already been down for two days in which I did not get to make ANY progress (which was very depressing as free time is not as easy for me to come by nowadays), and I felt the need to just get rid of this and start fresh with the next one.**

 **If you liked this chapter, LET. ME. KNOW. Word's cannot describe how much I appreciate it.**

 **GUEST REVIEW REPLIES:**

 **Guest (08/14/18):** Lol, no worries, I made sure to keep that in mind. Thank you! I appreciate the support and am glad you liked the chapter. I am so sorry if this chapter has changed your opinion, but keep in mind that the story WILL get better, regardless of whether you enjoyed this latest installment or not. Please remember that I cherish every one of your reviews and hope you find it worth your time to stick around.

 **Rose:** From the bottom of my heart, thank you! I'm glad that my work came off as "really well written" to you, even if it was a jumbled mess of thoughts to me. I honestly don't know if I'll ever be able to completely satisfy myself, but I am ecstatic you find it worth your time! And I mean ecstatic. That was a very nice review, and I'll remember it in case writers block ever chooses to come knocking on my door. I have my heart set on continuing this story to at least present day (4 years later), where Sabrina will be 16. I'll probably end the story somewhere around there, and YES, I will try to complete it.

 **Oh, and, guys? I have noticed something crucial. CRUCIAL.**

 **For my first chapter, I awoke the next day and the first thing I did was go onto Fanfiction. Half an hour later, I got my first review. It was one of the kindest comments anyone has ever given me on my work. I finished nearly half of Chapter two over the next two days. The day I reached the halfway point in that chapter, I had received my second review, also very well-thought out, kind, and helpful. Life got in the way after that. But a week later, the same day I received another review, I had found inspiration for how to finish the chapter, and got about 70% done. The next day, I awoke to find another review, and that was the same day I finished the chapter.**

 **See the pattern?**

 **Meanwhile, with chapter two, I received three very kind comments that I appreciate wholeheartedly. And, yeah, I made a good chunk of progress on the next chapter, as those reviews pushed me forward. Every time I opened FanFiction to write, the first thing I did was reread the reviews. Every time. But it still took me over a week to make any real progress.**

 **I realize now that it must have something to do with my subconscious. When I get that kind of feedback and support on my writing, even if it's just a ,"HURRY UP AND UPDATE ALREADY!", my gears start whirring, and I find more inspiration. Those comments burn a hole right through the writers block.**

 **If it were up to me, I would spit out five chapters a day, seven days a week. But life simply doesn't work like that. So, even if I never wanted to be one of those authors, PLEASE review. If you care about this story in the slightest, review. Because it's usually after the first review that inspiration strikes, and it's the others that drive me forward. If you don't see the next chapter up after a week, review and let me know you want more. Chances are, I'll get much more done that day than I would have.**

 **Dude...I think my A/N as a whole was bigger than the chapter itself. Whoops. In any case, keep in mind that I usually really get going after the first review, though whether its** **intentional or not I don't know.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So...I did the math, and it's been over half a month since I last updated. Sorry! But, in my defense: 1) there are other authors out there who take MUCH longer to update, so I'm doing fairly well all things considered, and 2) I warned you guys that with school starting again it would take me longer to update; as I speak there is a huge pile of work boring holes into the back of my head, threatening to ruin my entire weekend. Moving on, while I would love nothing more than to sit back and stop typing so you guys can get to the actual chapter, there are some things that demand to be addressed.**

 **First: SHOUTOUT TO ANONYMOUSWRITER427! SHE IS AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING PERSON AND ARGUABLY HAS BEEN THE MOST SUPPORTIVE OF MY WORK! I would have totally replied to your review (which I really needed by the way; thanks!), via PM, but I felt that you deserved to have people see just how much others appreciate you for everything you do. The fact that you haven't grown sick of my writing yet never ceases to amaze me. Not only did she review every single one of my chapters, but she followed and favorited this fanfic, which she was under absolutely no obligation to do. If that isn't enough, you even added ME to your favorite authors list! *sniffs* You are just too kind. And NO, that review was not rude in the slightest. It was perfect.**

 **Also, I had to resort to desperate measures just to keep this story going smoothly. I HAVE NOTHING FOR THE GRIMM FAMILY TO DO EXCEPT MOURN SABRINA! The only other plan I had for them (crucial to their part in the story, which I think I mentioned previously) takes place later. So, I was stumped for a good solid week and a half. Hence the delay in updating. While I came up with another subplot, which you guys will see in this chapter, please keep in mind that this story IS still based on Sabrina and her family. I just had to include pointless OCs for the sake of connecting the dots. If you have any ideas, feel free to let me know and I will do my best to include them if they don't clash with the plot in my head. I'm sure I'll come up with something regardless, but it'll take some time.**

* * *

 _Two days later_

When Sabrina awoke, it took her a full 12 seconds of staring blankly at the wall for the realization to dawn that she was not in Granny's kitchen anymore, nor in her bedroom, but underground with hundreds of other kidnapped youth, guarded by psychopaths who apparently had nothing better to do with their lives. Another 5 seconds and she remembered how long she'd been here.

Her surroundings were still fuzzed, and she took advantage of the opportunity to mull over her most recent...episode...to the farthest extent of her capabilities. By the time Sabrina had managed to make sense of the whole ordeal, she was so deep into her headspace that she hadn't realized her surroundings were now as clear as they were going to get. A plain white room. Great. Like that was much to go off of.

Something had been...off about the whole thing. It was like she'd been drugged...And the thought scared the wits out of her. Because, regardless of their pure evil, these criminals did not use drugs. That's what made their control so effective. Drugs didn't grasp your vocal cords in an iron grip, didn't forcibly move your own body against your will. The only logical explanation was that Sabrina was losing her mind. Unfortunately, it made sense, considering the rumors she'd heard that some of the other sectors were nothing short of mental health wards–not that it meant they got better treatment. In fact, they probably had it the worst there, if Sabrina was to believe the hearsay.

But if Sabrina _was_ losing her sanity, she wouldn't be able to transition so suddenly from Grade A Nutcase to helpless (but sane) 13 year old, right?

 _Assuming I'm even still thirteen_ , her bitter thoughts concluded.

She couldn't shake off the feeling that her reactions had been...provoked, somehow, though. She couldn't really explain it–even to herself–but it was like her anonymous captors had the force of nature on their side.

Again, an image of the bloody dagger flashed across her vision-and with it, some _serious_ vertigo.

. . .

What felt like hours later, the seamless transition from one stark, white wall to the next was interrupted by the opening of a large, well-camouflaged panel through the wall to her left, seemingly a piece of it that had been carved out.

Seeing as she was tied down, Sabrina couldn't have turned to face the visitor no matter how badly she wanted to shoot them her best death-glare. Plus, she added as an afterthought, whoever it was likely would've twisted her into a pretzel for so much as sneering at them.

She must have paled considerably at the thought of her intestines being ripped out and twisted to shreds before her very eyes, because the sicko who'd come to check in on her uttered a low chuckle, filled with malicious glee.

* * *

"Veronica hasn't left the room for days now. She hardly speaks to anyone, hasn't even come out for meals." Henry stabbed his breakfast with a fork, eyes clouded over with exhaustion.

"Hank, it's been hard for everyone," Jake soothed. "You should talk to her."

"Jake, we sleep in the same room. I've _been_ talking to her!" He buried his face into his hands. "I just...I can't keep watching her like this. I feel so...helpless."

"The loss of one's child is the worst thing for a mother. It hurts in a way nothing else can, Henry." Granny whispered sympathetically. The two brothers chose not to mention that Relda looked even more exhausted than Henry. She was clearly worried out of her mind.

The sudden tension in the room snapped, as Henry abruptly stood, his chair shoved to the floor and futile attempt at a meal long forgotten. Shaking, he pointed an accusing finger at Relda.

"Do you mean to tell me, that my daughter is...," he paused and made a choking sound. After just barely composing himself, he managed to hiss a strangled, " _gone?"_

Relda's eyes widened as she stuttered a, "No, no, not like that, Henry dear. You _know_ I didn't mean it like that!" Also standing at this point, she desperately cried, "How could I possibly give up on her?!"

Jake mouthed, _n_ _eeds sleep,_ as he stood and made his way around the kitchen table to Henry. Draping an arm around his shoulders, he herded his older brother upstairs.

Relda heard his voice grow fainter as he calmly explained to Henry that some more rest would make it easier to cope, and that he needed to have a serious heart-to-heart with his despairing wife. Henry's feeble retorts faded away, and the elderly woman felt herself sag into her chair.

 _Oh, Liebling..._ She sighed, feeling her eyes well as unspoken horrors flashed through her mind. What could have possibly happened to her sweet Sabrina? _Please be okay, please come home to us._

She straightened. No. No more moping, Relda. This was a mystery. And if solving mysteries wasn't something the Grimms excelled at, nothing was. And so, she headed to her room with a newfound determination. It was time to start searching for clues. But, first, there were family members that needed comfort and reassurance. Besides, eight minds were better than one.

* * *

Of course he was hooded. Typical.

The figure (who she knew he was male thanks to what little his husky laugh gave away) was clearly invested in whatever purpose there was behind this little visit, because he refrained from beating her to a pulp even though the slight twitch in his hands made it clear that he would've gladly obliged. Either that, or he was deathly afraid of whoever had given him his orders.

He was definitely under orders, that much Sabrina was certain of. After all, half of these goons probably wouldn't know the difference between left and right if they weren't told. From what she'd seen and heard, all they seemed to know was...well...menace.

Regardless, she didn't try her luck. There were many ways to hurt someone without necessarily beating them up, and these freaks (idiots or not) were definitely creative in the forms of torture they chose to subject people to.

Sabrina had a sinking feeling she didn't even know half of it.

* * *

 _"Introducing the crowned prince, Augustus I, and Lady Victoria."_ The announcer sat back to a smattering of applause. Clearly, he noted at their slight frowns, the royal parents-to-be had been hoping for a more enthusiastic turnout. However, quickly as it had come, the apparent disappointment of the couple was washed away with Victoria's winning smile. Augustus' seemed more strained and subdued. Not that anyone would have noticed. No one but the announcer that is, who had–over his sixty-plus years of working so closely with the monarchy–learned to read every twitch in the muscles of these people with hardly a glance. It was pleasantly surprising, how many nervous habits or family traits passed down from generation to generation. Yes, he'd done his research.

Aside from all that, it was fairly obvious that the audience would be less-than-impressed. Especially seeing as, not only was there plenty of controversy surrounding the heir-to-be, but a decision had finally been made. Everyone with any knowledge on the subject had been frustratingly tight-lipped, leaving the majority with nothing to rely on but gossip and hearsay. From what little the people did know, they weren't sure what to feel. Hence, this public announcement to whole of the Nelcroninthian Kingdom.

"Lords and Ladies," Augustus began. "Beloved people of Nelcroninthia.

"As you know, this kingdom was founded upon some of the richest earth in the world. At least half of the fortunes we've discovered consist of metals unknown to man. Naturally, as is our way, we did not wish any violence as result of the inevitable curse that has plagued man from the very beginning," he paused, waiting until every eye in the audience was on him. "Greed.

"So we refrained from the use of these such substances, at least to the public eye. As you know, even mention of said substances violates fundamental laws. Laws that were put there for a _reason_ , may I add. We were taught to hide the secret of our land even from our children. Hence, my certainty that this is a very recent revelation for a large number of you. Unfortunately, it seems that the information has leaked, somehow, in spite of our persistent efforts..."

It was safe to say that the events that unfolded upon this particular day would be deeply engraved in our memories. Well...that's quite the understatement.

...

"Word has spread throughout the Western Borderlands. All the ancient ones were tested, and none of them leaked the information. We are doomed."

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic, Cindy."

The bickering of the two palace maids carried down the empty palace halls. Knowing its inhabitants were out and about today, what with all of the hectic going-ons they were forced to attend to, the duo carelessly chattered away while they tended to the massive space.

"Melodramatic. _You_. Are calling _me._ _Melodramatic?"_

"Did I stutter? I was hoping the message came across."

"Cut the sarcasm, lest you'll be eating scraps for dinner."

 _"Sarcasm? Me?_ I'm simply mildly concerned that my sister's newfound obsession with politics is going to be the undoing of this household. Honestly, you're so gullible." Matilda snorted. " _'_ _We are doomed'."_

"Really? Well, then I suppose it makes no difference that some of the freshly mined supply was STOLEN? And that we aren't even _remotely_ close to identifying the culprit?"

Shell-shocked, Matilda was unable to do any more than stare, mouth agape and moving slightly but unable to emit sound.

"Cat got your tongue?" Cindy quipped. "About time. It's a much needed change around here."

When she finally scraped her jaw off the floor, Matilda hissed, "Liar," to which Cindy narrowed her eyes in response. "There's no way. No creature is even close considering such a feat! No scum would sink so low as to sign their lives away for such petty reasoning!" She was near hysterics at this point. "Tell me you're lying!"

"I'm afraid what she says is very true," a new voice cut in. The women jumped in fright, eyeing the cloaked figure who stood before them apprehensively. "But, then again," they drawled, "no one likes a gossip."

That night, the royal family returned to find two unconscious maids tied to the royal flag post. Someone wasn't backing down.

* * *

 **A/N: No, the royal family likely won't be a very significant part of the story. They** **don't really have any meaningful role here. I just needed something to move the story along, and the fact that it sets us up for the family's scene is just a plus.**

 **Thank you to everyone who followed and reviewed! It's thanks to you guys that lack of inspiration due to all the filler didn't force this chapter out two months from now.**

 **I already have planned out what's going to go into next chapter, so I can confidently promise you guys that it will be much less sucky than this one was. I was originally going to add said chapter's events into this one, but I cut it short because I felt that this was a good place to stop and ensure that next chapter would be much better. Plus, I got sick of seeing this unfinished chapter in my documents all the time and felt the urge to just get rid of it so you guys wouldn't have to keep waiting and I could rest with the knowledge that I at least updated.**

 **GUEST REVIEW REPLIES:**

 **Guest #1 (08/26/18)–** Thanks! I'm glad you like the plot (I know I fell in love with it), and I really do try to avoid any and all grammatical errors. Did I mention this story isn't beta-ed? Anyway, like I mentioned above, I can guarantee that next chapter will be better than this one. So, if it did not turn out to meet your hopes, keep that in mind. Otherwise, hopefully this chappie wasn't too cringe-worthy...

 **Guest #2 (09/01/18)–** Here's your update. Oh, and uh, while I hate to disappoint, I should probably mention...There's a reason that this story wasn't put in the Romance genre. While I totally see where you're coming from (who doesn't like well-written Puckabrina, right?), I don't do romance. Even without it, I feel that I have yet to properly capture the characters' personalities. Not to say there won't be _moments_ between the two, of course. I CAN promise more of those. Thanks for taking the time to review! I reallllly hope the fact that you won't be seeing a kissing scene here doesn't deter you from continuing to read my work. I just want to ensure that my writing doesn't rely on that kind of romance to captivate people. I want my writing to be able to stand on its own, per say, and I want to focus on the fast-paced action of the story. You'll see what I mean later on, when some more chapters get out...* **insert evil grin** *.

 **Guest #3 (09/08/18)–** Lol, I spent nearly twenty minutes reading over your review repeatedly before I saw it (hey, don't judge! I was still groggy from having just woken up...). Believe it or not, your review REALLY helped! In fact, I'm pretty sure that was the day that I sat down and came up with the subplot idea so that I could post the chapter eventually. So, thanks! Any and all readers who had been waiting for an update, or liked this chapter, ought to know it was in large part thanks to you!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**

 **I'm baaaaack...**

 **I've been staring at words so long everything's merging into squiggly lines. The sentences we string together on a daily basis look so weird when you stare at them too long...**

 **Anyway.**

 **I am really, truly, so extremely sorry for taking so long to update. Now–to the handful of you who probably want to kill me right now, revive me to make me write some more, and kill me again–I PROMISE I KINDA SORTA HAVE AN EXPLANATION.**

 **First my teachers chose to cram all of the huge assignments and projects into a measly two weeks at the end of the term, so I was swamped with all that plus finals. Then, writers block. Then, swamped with more to do. I got roughly a week off, where I finished about 45% of the chapter (about two months ago...). After which, one thing led to another thing and I honestly can't recall just how much I had to do because it was this huge tidal wave of thing, after thing, after thing (okay, that and I'm a major procrastinator. Sue me.) I may or may not have threatened to clobber a few people.**

 **I can guarantee you guys hands down that I won't even get to start on the next chappie for the next two weeks or so. BUT THEN COMES WINTER BREAK!**

 **A gracious thank-you to all those who followed and reviewed. You people honestly drove me to tears, you made me so happy. I'm not going to call anyone out, for the sake of their privacy, but know I am giving you virtual hugs right now.**

 **Again, so so so so so so so so so so SO thankful to those of you who reviewed; and I'm going to write this next part in all caps, in case anyone's skimming:**

 **THIS CHAPTER WOULD HAVE COME OUT, MOST LIKELY, ABOUT A MONTH FROM NOW IF IT WERE NOT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO REVIEWED AND FOR THE PM ANONYMOUSWRITER427 SENT ME. Now, I'll let you get to reading; this A/N was a MONSTER, as usual. Sorry.**

 **(Forgot to mention, this chapter is pretty much entirely filler. Again. Sorry. Promise there'll—hopefully—be actual plot progression next chapter.)**

* * *

His rough hands maneuvered her through the tunnel he'd apparently entered from. Strangely, the darkness was suffocating. It would've made more sense if the area was a crowded hallway rather than a seemingly never-ending tube, in which the air was thick and tinged with something Sabrina couldn't quite place. She could feel it pushing at her from all sides, turning the endless dark into a suffocating prison. Maybe she was so delirious that at this point the whole scenario was all one big illusion she'd concocted out of desperation. If it weren't for the fatigue Sabrina may have been able to convince herself that she was dreaming. After all, nightmares felt just as real, right? Maybe that meant she was really snuggled up on Granny's couch right now, and this was all a nightmare. If that was the case, she'd never complain about Granny's gremlin egg stew again. Which was saying something, because as far as Sabrina knew, gremlins didn't lay eggs.

Unable to see anything beyond five inches in front of her, and with her arms folded into her back (it was actually pretty painful, as the oaf was pushing her from where they protectively folded over her sore spot, stretching her arms to the point where Sabrina thought they'd rip off), it was no surprise to Sabrina that she stumbled and crashed onto the cold, stone floor. With her luck, it had only been a matter of time. Too bad she'd been so dazed that the thought of bracing herself beforehand hadn't crossed her mind until her knees were already buckling and the floor was flying towards her at a rate too fast to comprehend.

What with the inability to protect her face as the brunt of Sabrina's strength was still tightly bound by the figure's iron grip—Sabrina's kicks had never been quite as deft as her punches—she fell headfirst, the man shoving her farther down. He knew she'd fall, counted on that crack in the floor, on her partial blindness in this infuriating, humid hole. Wanted to hear her shriek in pain, whimper for mercy, cry for help. To remind her of who was really at power here. He'd done this countless times; she was just one pathetic soul in a sea of many.

 _He did this on purpose_ , Sabrina thought, enraged, as pain bloomed across the side of her face that had scraped against the floor on impact.

The phrase echoed through her mind, its connotations gaining ferocity by the moment.

 _On purpose._

Purpose.

Something snapped inside her then. What happened to the nine-year-old who hid the absence of her parents from law enforcement for _weeks_? The girl who escaped home upon home of psychopaths, never once batting an eye? To the girl who, despite being unsure and overwhelmed, led an army to victory against all odds?

This quaking girl...she wasn't Sabrina Grimm.

If they wanted to see who they were messing with, she'd be happy to give them the whole package. Her rage was tangible at this point. Her core was buzzing with energy. The 'escort' had gone eerily still, grip ever-so-slightly slackened, but still in place. She didn't have time to ponder what that meant before the energy was released. Sabrina leapt up, landing a solid punch to his gut, and rolling out of kicking range faster than she'd expected possible, considering how long she'd spent cooped up in the corner of a cell. She didn't know what was happening, but it felt good. Really good.

She felt a slight prick her neck, with about the intensity of a bee sting, but it then vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. Just as the guy turned around, preparing to attack. Sabrina braced herself, but the figure did the last thing she'd have ever anticipated. He shuddered, collapsing with a scream. She could do nothing but gape as he slowly sat up, lifting his hood.

The world turned cold as she gazed into Puck's eyes, and he into hers. He grimaced with pain, but offered her his best attempt at a cheeky grin. "Looks like you caught me, Stinky."

She couldn't even bring herself to scream. But the most horrifying moment was when his bulky cloak rustled, and she found out just why it was so bulky...when _Daphne_ crawled out. Sabrina's shaky breath caught in her throat, likely the only thing choking back a wounded howl.

The little girl's face was bruised. She choked out, "You promised you'd protect me, Sabrina." The girl in question frantically shook her head as the scene blurred.

"No–this...this isn't real. You aren't real! You _can't be here!"_ Desperation clearly etched between every syllable, Sabrina's voice betrayed her growing hysteria.

Puck shook his head. "I told you, Marshmallow. She always did have a knack for looking opportunity in the face and running in the opposite direction."

Slowly, Daphne stood to face Sabrina again, who was still frozen in place, hardly able to breathe. And deliberately shook her head.

The floodgates were definitely open now, rivers of thick, gloppy tears carving pathways through the muck and grime that had coated Sabrina's face for so long (she was almost thankful there were few to no reflective surfaces down here). Here were the people she'd been silently praying for, facing her head-on. But for all the wrong reasons.

Daphne had the nerve to frown at her–almost disdainful, but not quite. Mixed with something...else. It reminded her of the way Mirror had looked at her, back when they'd discovered he was the Master.

Glancing up at the ceiling, she whispered, "We should go." Disappointment practically leaked out of her voice. It shattered Sabrina to know she'd done something to cause _this._ Never before had Daphne looked at her, spoke before her, with such contempt. Puck, maybe. But never Daphne.

Sabrina recalled reading or hearing something once–what was the phrase? _Anger is hurt acting out?_ Yeah. Something like that. Well, she may have been in denial before, considering her number one move in any hurtful situation was driven by a tasteful combination of stubbornness and rage, but she had no problem believing that now.

She could feel her face closing, eyes drying, muscles stiffening. As per usual, but aimed at the last people she'd have ever expected. "Hurry, would you? I thought these walls were nauseating enough _before_ your faces joined the display, but–then again–life is full of disappointments."

Again, that prick in her neck, carrying all the way down and throughout Sabrina's spine.

* * *

Another. Freaking. Hall.

Why were these creeps so obsessed with moldy stone walls again? And what was with the whole trend of _constantly-rendering-prisoners-unconscious-when-totally-unnecessary_? Sabrina couldn't remember the last time she _hadn't_ been suffering the aftermath of some headache or other.

Sabrina gagged–she could literally _smell the walls._

Stalking down _another_ one of the aforementioned halls, Sabrina caught snippets of sounds from her surroundings (you'd be amazed at how much one can hear miles below the surface of the earth, being frogmarched to the next stage of the epitome of doom their life is summing up to be), but most of the world was drowned out by her inner tirade.

She should've been complaining about cell phone reception, not mucky prison conditions. Sure, she'd done some things. Sure, she'd had to mature faster than the average kid her age. Sure, she'd developed more survival skills for life on the run by eleven-or-twelve-something than others had their entire lives. But how, pray tell, did the universe manage to forget she was still a child? Said conditions were starting to make Sabrina feel claustrophobic.

She found herself constantly plagued with offhanded thoughts like, _Puck wouldn't have survived two weeks in the place,_ or, _I wonder how much effort it would take for Elvis to break down that cell door if Daphne fed him one of her 'secret serums'_. Promptly following which, she'd feel that all-too-familiar sensation of bile rising up her throat, coating her tongue with the sour taste that accompanied any recent thoughts on the people she was supposed to be trying to get back to (or who, better yet, should've been trying to save her–but, she supposed, beggars couldn't be choosers).

At this point, Sabrina was utterly confused. A couple days ago, she was in hysterics and could literally feel her sanity deteriorating day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. Time had stretched and silence had felt excruciating, but the harsh sounds that had resonated throughout the halls surrounding her cell had practically pierced through her skin, solidifying into a dull ache that settled just below the surface. Just like a perpetual headache, really.

When she woke up in that pristine white room, Sabrina had been feeling the aftermath of that pain, reduced at the time to a dull ache pulsing just behind her eyes.

That... _incident..._ in the corridor right after? Looking back on it Sabrina realized that—she swallowed. _No. NO. You are NOT going to cry again. They won't get that satisfaction from you.—_ everything had played out through a haze, not unlike what Sabrina imagined drunkhards felt like. Even now she could only vaguely recall what had generally happened, and her mind drew a blank each time she tried to focus on something specific from that...day? How much time had passed since then? It couldn't have been _that_ long. A growing tension accompanied the dawn of the realization that Sabrina had no memory whatsoever as to how she got from that disturbing scenario (assuming it was even real, or just a hallucination she'd cooked up—either seemed probable at this point) to this very moment in time.

The guard escorting her to who-knows-where chose that moment to roughly yank her forward, apparently deciding she was moving too slow for their liking. Her mind flashed to blood-stained metal, and once her vision cleared of black spots, she found herself rounding a corner and being herded into a large, rounded room, surrounded by other kids who looked around her age. But that meant nothing. She'd caught sight of men and women and creatures of all ages and kinds, or at least heard them. And that was saying something, because Sabrina doubted she'd treaded a mile of this place.

Sabrina had never even gotten beyond the _sub_ -sector she'd been hauled off to upon arrival. Which, by the feel of everything, seemed to be one out of thousands. Meaning there were likely hundreds of actual sectors. Honestly, this hub of evil was HUGE.

 _Focus 'Brina._

With each passing day her thoughts wanted to derail more and more. Sabrina wouldn't be surprised if her attention span had been reduced to that of a five year old. Catching herself after zoning out _again_ , Sabrina refocused on her surroundings.

Round room. Right.

* * *

 _Day Thirty-Two_

 _Yesterday, Mom and Dad said they were helping Bo Peep with preparations for her honeymoon. When they got back Mom's eyes were red and puffy, and Dad's jaw kept clenching and unclenching. I would've gone and asked Bo about it today, but apparently she'd already left. This morning we decided that Uncle Jake and Puck would leave like they'd been planning to before Sabrina...disappeared. But now they'd be searching for things that could help us track her down, since no one here has been having any luck. It will be soooo much lonelier without them, but if this will help Sabrina get home sooner, I can't wait for them to start searching._

 _I know she'd never leave me, or she would've ditched us when we first got here and she was suspicious (that's how it's spelled, right?) of Granny. It wouldn't make sense for her to leave now, especially with Mom and Dad awake and the whole family (including Puck) together._

 _What if someone hurt her?_

Daphne paused, staring at the page with wide eyes. She hadn't meant to write that; seeing it on the paper made it feel too true, too real. Sabrina would be fine. They'd find her and find out what happened. _And we'd_ _have our happy ending back._ _After all, we are Grimms, and this is what we do!_ Okay, so maybe Daphne was kinda forcing it. But forced optimism was better than no optimism! Daphne had looked up optimism in the dictionary. It was her favorite word right now. (She hadn't found it in her to come up with any new words lately.) Turning back to her latest journal entry, she quickly scrawled in some more. Granny would be wondering why she hadn't come down for lunch yet.

 _It doesn't matter. Either way, we'll find her. This is just another mystery, and one day Sabrina and I will look back at this page and smile. She's strong; she'll take care of herself. Just like she took care of me. She's okay. I have to believe that she'll be okay._

 _Until Tomorrow,_

 _Daphne_

* * *

"Daph?"

No. It couldn't be. She was back? _She was back!_ Daphne's gaze snapped to the doorway. "SABRI-...oh." Her face fell. Trying to wipe the disappointment from it, she waved and managed a small smile. "Hi, Red."

Red's gaze dropped to the floor. "Relda just...wanted me to tell you that lunch is ready."

"Oh. Okay."

Red squirmed slightly. She wanted to make the awkward silence go away, but there was nothing she could think to say.

"Red?"

"Yes?"

Daphne sniffled. "Be honest..." she looked Red dead in the eye. "Do...do you think Sabrina...left?"

Red paused, deep in thought. "I think...No. No, judging from what I've seen of her over the past several months, she'd never even consider it. Actually, I think she was starting to really like it here." She then proceeded to rush across the room and wrap the most un-Daphne-ish Daphne in the history of Daphnes in her embrace. To Red's pleasant surprise, Daphne held on to her with a death grip. She wasn't sure how long the two stayed there, but by the time they broke apart to Grannys call of _Lieblings! Lunch is getting_ _cold,"_ Red was feeling a lot more like family than she had in a long time.

Before the two descended, Daphne whispered to Red, "At least I have one of my sisters. For now that's enough for me."

Red beamed, but was quick to shake her head. "Don't think like that, Daphne. We'll find her. It's just a matter of time."

* * *

 _Time. Time, indeed._

 _"Sire? Group C is ready."_

 _The man snapped out of his reverie, the sudden change in attitude bringing a cowering Malcolm down to his knees._

 _Oh, this was going to be fun._

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **GUEST REVIEW REPLIES:**

 **Guest (11/23/18):** Lol, last I checked, I am very much not dead. I sincerely appreciate your concern. I'm dead serious, your review made my day. It's great to be back

 **Guest (12/04/18):** Sorry for kinda sorta leaving you with a cliffy...Anyways, your review is much appreciated! Let's just say, your comment is like 97% of the reason why I pushed myself to update before finals, rather than at least wait a week or two. I tried! I promise!

 **It honestly feels sooooooo amazing to have finally finished this chapter. Even more so because of how long it spent sitting in the computer, and how many times I read over it to ensure that it does not, in fact, look like a total trash word vomit anymore. If you think it looks bad now, trust me, you would not believe how awful it look three weeks ago.**


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